CANNABIS IS STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF LIFETIME ILLICIT DRUG USE

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DATA FROM 1,265 CHILDREN ACROSS 25 YEARS

“The use of cannabis in late adolescence and early adulthood is the strongest risk factor for later involvement in other illicit drugs,” confirms a study led by Professor David Fergusson at the Department of Psychological Medicine at Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences. It was published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2008 (96:165-177).

The 25-year longitudinal study examined the “developmental antecedents” of illicit drug use and abuse/dependence in a “birth cohort” of 1,265 New Zealand children, including cannabis use to age 25, parental adjustment, exposure to childhood sexual/ physical abuse and interparental violence, novelty-seeking, childhood and early adolescent adjustment and substance use, and affiliation with substance-using peers.

RESULTS.

Analyses using repeated measures logistic regression models suggested that parental illicit drug use, gender, novelty-seeking, and childhood conduct disorder predicted later illicit drug use and abuse/dependence. Further analyses revealed that these pathways to illicit drug use and abuse/dependence were mediated via cannabis use, affiliation with substance-using peers, and alcohol use during ages 16–25.

Illicit drug use and abuse/dependence from ages 16 to 25 were significantly linked with a range of parental adjustment measures, exposure to abuse in childhood, individual factors and childhood and early adolescent adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS.

The current study suggested that the illicit drug use and abuse/dependence were linked to a range of early life circumstances and processes which put people at greater risk of illicit drug use and abuse/dependence. However, the use of cannabis in late adolescence and early adulthood emerged as the strongest risk factor for later involvement in other illicit drugs.

2 comments

In my observation, nowadays there is a big number of minors using cannabis, than adults. And at their young age they are being dependent with it. Hope for there is a better solution to this problem. -mj-